10. The Vault
The sand was in every crevice of my clothes, my body and my bag. Victoria's scent was long gone and I had found myself wondering around this desert, my heart missing, my mind being dragged through the sand dunes and the hollow area in my chest was now full of nothing but little grains of dirt. Still, I forged on.
My biggest concern – problem – was my new companion that I picked up in this hell hole. This…imagination of mine has grown wildly out of control as it now sent vivid premonitions through my mind. As if my psyche knew what I craved the most, this haze – mirage - was now playing out in front of my eyes.
There were slight disturbances in the air like a heat wave. A clumsy Bella was walking by my side. I was trying to master myself, trying to stay away from her. She was reaching out her hand to take mine, she tripped and I put my arms out to catch her. Her figure shimmered insubstantially in the air before the image exploded and once again all I saw was the vast ocean of fine debris of rocks.
One moment I was in blissful denial at my state of mind, the next I was lying in the loose grains that had turned my skin a brownish-yellow color. Two weeks…it had now been two miserable, sunny, blisteringly boring weeks. Each day passed slowly, mercilessly, as the sun shone brightly over the sky, sending rainbows reflecting off my skin. The spectacular view now seemed dull, uninteresting at best.
My pitiful attempt at tracking had failed miserably. I knew this well, considering I had nothing but my mental images or concepts of what is not actually present and this growing sensation of dryness in my mouth and throat.
Thirst. My body was physically craving blood, but my mind refused to think of it. This…need, to whatever various degrees that it changes, was something I easily placed in the back of my mind. My thirst has now become just a minor annoyance, a tiny flame that hardly burned anymore because there was another burning inside me.
The hollow area in my chest was charred beyond recognition yet the fire burned more feverously than ever. I tried to put the fire out; cutting off my supply of oxygen seemed to only make it more compressed, like a hearth or a furnace. My hand was rubbing my chest, trying to soothe the pain but it just continued to burn with obsessive longing.
I sat up, bringing my head to my hands and begging that the earth would open up and swallow me whole. Trying to empty my mind seemed to have the opposite effect. I took off my shoes and turned them upside down. Sand toppled out of them like a dirty waterfall. Once again, the thought of water…a liquid…blood.
Thirst began to over take me, as I hadn't eaten in weeks now. Putting my shoes back on I got to my feet, determined to move on, forward, any direction but north but that is where my body tried to constantly pull me. The more my body longed for the fluid that circulates deliciously throughout the body the more illusions consumed me; totally destroying any restraint I still had left in me.
I was slowly becoming famished, this new problem craving prompt attention but I continued to fail extravagantly at fixing it. Once again, she was there, in front of me, her outrageous flavor floating in the air, filling the space between us almost like it was begging me to move forward, to fix the distance to nothing. I drew in several heavy breaths. Had I gone back? This must be some sort of dream, though I never sleep. Still, I stared at her as her skin was glimmering palely in the setting sky.
My desire for her was overwhelming until my arms reached out to bring her to into my embrace. Her blood swirled deliciously under her translucent skin and without effort, or thinking, I brought my teeth to her neck and all my careful restraint that I had exercised for the past seventy years was gone, unnecessary, because now she was holding me tighter. Each second I drew her blood – her life – into my mouth, my lips were a perfect vacuum on her delicate skin.
Once the blood had warmed my body, the fiery thirst dissipated, I was brought back into the conscious world, I realized it wasn't Bella I was holding it was a mountain lion. Dread doused my previous jubilation. Had my thirst gotten that bad? The hollow yearning, the desperate craving had taken over and I embraced it wildly. I could almost swear it was Bella that I was drinking, her luscious blood filling me, but it was not. Just a sick fantasy. I felt like I would burst with the pain of just the mere thought.
A monster. That is what I was. She deserved better, merited a relationship that wasn't full of death and destruction. If I had stayed, how long would it have been until I put my mouth upon her neck to draw the vital principle – life – from her body? Every part of me ached with the prospect. Again, pain pierced me. Hopelessness threatened to engulf me.
The sun slowly crept down the evening sky as the ground burned red until the earth had over taken the light and soon the stars dotted the sky, shining brightly over the sandy abyss. The velvety darkness before me seemed to ripple, the evening air quivering as my uncertainty consumed me. If I go back now, she'll die an early death. I refused to let this happen. Still, her voice continued to echo through my mind, leaving doubts.
My legs felt like they became lead the closer I moved away from Bella. Secretly, I was trying to convince myself to move forward, to go north towards Forks not south toward Victoria. The moon now was bright in the sky, the light full of loss and despair.
Nevada. This place should actually be called hell; the abode of evil…punishment of the wicked. Each second of torment and misery proved that this hell was made just for me. That's it, I thought angrily. I finally decided that I had had enough. Racing towards the nearest town my eyes were met with flashing lights of the infamous city, Las Vegas.
Sin city. Perfect, it sums up my existence fully, adequately. It was true; I had violated some form of moral principle by bringing my limitless existence upon an innocent and lovely creature.
The city continued to sparkle with multi-colored lights as I moved closer, unbelievably; I caught scent of a red haired monster. It was like some divine being brought me to this place, begging me to find this savage beast.
Following the scent I was brought to a casino. The sounds of the machines whirled through my mind, the dinging of coins being dropped in the slots, the sounds of tickets being printed, the ice clunking from people drinking, enjoying their vacations, and spending their hard earned pay checks.
Laughter filled the large building as I walked through the several rows of slot machines. Her scent was lingering here, like she was here only minutes ago. The smell burnt in my nostrils, the scent of a killer, a murderer. Still, I followed it. My mind was being filled with the babble of the room. Thoughts broke through me like hissing fires. Many of them repetitive.
Hell yes! One hundred bucks off of one dollar!
Three hundred dollars later…
My wife is going to kill me.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?
Yes, this was most definitely sin city through and through. Peeking over the crowd of transgressors I continued to search through minds trying to find some trace of Victoria. Even a glint in someone's memory would suffice.
"Hey man, you didn't see her. She was hot, seriously the sexiest woman I have ever seen," a man told his buddies.
In his mind he was picturing Victoria, I was sure of it. She had to be here somewhere. Soon the sea of slot machines turned into craps tables and suddenly I was moving closer to the poker tables. Looking around in the corners of the building I could see the many video cameras. It was like she planned for us to run into each other in a place with heavy surveillance so there was no chance I would kill her.
"If we just go through the floor…" a man spoke.
"Are you crazy? That will cause too much attention. We have to be stealthy if we want to break into the vault," a woman said in a very familiar tone.
Victoria. She was here and she was planning a…heist? But why Vegas? Of all places to decide to rob for money why the most observed place in history? I listened harder, trying to read the minds around her, lost in desperate speculation.
With this money I could finally get rid of my new tracker. Finally shake him. Victoria thought.
She must be thinking about me. Does she honestly believe a little bit of money would hide her? My senses are beyond even a vampire, though my tracking skills lack, I too, have money.
"Tomorrow than?" the man asked her.
"No, tonight. It has to be tonight!" Victoria barked at him.
She is insane. Well, I guess this will be more entertaining than my normal evenings. "Fine, let's get our supplies ready. The Bellagio at midnight?"
"Yes, and don't be late!" Victoria jumped down from the poker table.
Watching her leave, I swear she sent a thought my way.
Oh this will be fun…won't it?
I couldn't let her get away with this, let her try and rob a famous casino full of cameras. She would expose us all. The cameras, the brute security that these buildings are based upon would only bring proof to the table of doubt and uncertainty.
Instead of following her, I would catch her before she breaks into the vault or prevent the humans from seeing the incident in the first place. It was hard to let her go in the place full of humans, the lust for slaughter was boiling inside me, brutality radiating out of me.
Looking towards a clock, I noticed that it was only an hour until midnight. What could I possibly do in one hour to stop this from happening? Cut the camera feeds? Knock the surveillance crew out? Possibly turn the electricity off to the whole street?
This is going to be a lot more complicated than just robbing a bank. Still – the question lingers – why Vegas? Exiting the casino I walked along the main strip I was still trying to get to the core of things, but instead I was floundering around the edges of things, stifling blindly through clues. People walked by with their drinks in hand while workers handed out flyers for escorts, or more honestly, hookers. The blinking lights seemed to bring back memories of another time.
Prom, the lights illuminating Bella's glorious face, her lips parted slightly right before I brought my lips to hers. That night, though she hated the ritual, was magical. It was so easy to mentally bring back the image of the dress clinging perfectly to her delicate body. The image of me spinning her onto the floor sent a jolt through my heart. The pain returned in full measure as I realized I was in Las Vegas pursuing a vampire instead of going back and putting my heart where it belongs…in between my arms.
Still, I continued to walk towards the famous fountain as music bellowed through the loud speakers on the grounds and the water bounded up in beautiful and spectacular formations. The water rippled and quivered as the water danced in the air. This was something you watched while you held your significant other yet I had to watch it by myself, preparing to do one of the stupidest stunts ever. I don't want the money; I actually just want to prevent it from being stolen, but to tell the humans about it would only cause their deaths.
The electricity flowing through the lights that flooded the building, making the windows sparkle, could probably supply a third country with power for a year. The money in the vaults was just like the city, it had come from those who were gamblers, some full of outrageous debts, filling the steel guarded safe's full of, what I would consider stolen money.
The torrent of information flooding my mind brought me back to books that I had read before. There had been few attempts to get to the riches that lie beneath the city, but those who tried were documented well. Today's security would make this task harder than ever, but when you have a vampire involved it would be only too easy.
Walking through the doors of the casino, I greeted the security guards before joining a Black Jack table. Every round I was able to read the minds around me, see what their cards were and easily decide if I could or couldn't win the hand. Not once did I guess incorrectly. Many people left the table as more new comers joined in. People became overly frustrated with my luck.
After only twenty minutes I heard the mind of some of the security around me.
This kid looks like he's only eighteen. Are they sure this is the table they wanted me to check? It doesn't seem like he's counting cards, honestly he looks bored.
At his thoughts I realized I had already gained attention that I didn't want. I knew that the cameras were all facing me - they could see me – and I was sure they were all being watched carefully, hoping to kick me out for winning so many rounds. At this, I decided losing was my best bet.
"I'm sorry, you lost," the dealer said happily.
"Can't win them all," I attempted a smile back, but failed miserably.
The security guard finally decided that they had it all wrong and left. I realized in my attempt to be unnoticed, I wasted almost forty minutes. Instead of wasting my time with the card game, I moved swiftly to a slot machine which was close to doors that I needed a key and pass code to enter in to. I watched as employees passed by for almost ten minutes.
Afraid I was going to be too late, I almost decided to go and break the door open myself, but realized that this would probably make alarms go off. Nope, definitely not a good idea, I had attracted enough attention at playing Black Jack so well.
Finally, a man walked towards the door and I could hear his thoughts as he pressed down the numbers on the key pad. Remembering these numbers, I slowly snuck over to another guard, stealing his keys right from under his nose and made my way towards the door that I had put all my attention on.
I jammed the key into the lock and pressed the code into the key pad. There was a light beeping sound that let me know I was admitted and I moved quietly and smoothly in through the doors. I only had seven minutes left before the whole charade goes down.
Suddenly, I heard a loud shrill cackle from a corner.
"Thought you'd follow me here. Don't worry, I've taken care of it," Victoria smiled viciously, a positively dangerous look crept across her face.
"Hurry, this way! Someone's gotten past security!"
"Two of them? Are you sure?"
"Have you contacted the police yet? No? Get on it!"
There were scurrying, echoing footsteps in the distance. Instantly I felt a twinge of regret.
"Oops, I guess I accidently leaked that someone would be…breaking into the casino at midnight," she giggled in a very girly high pitched tone. She smiled like a child who was just promised a large bag of treats.
I tried not to succumb to the rage as my stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. Fear fluttered in my chest as panic began flaring within me. A dreadful blast of realization hit me. This was her plan all along, to trap me here where I can't use my super strength to get free. The cameras were all pointed at me in this moment as I began backing away from Victoria. During all my agony I wasn't paying attention to her plan which consisted of me being caught, not her actually trying to steal money.
Instantly, the whole plan began to make sense. She is a lot more clever than I ever gave her credit for. Hatred boiled up inside me as I gave her a cold hard look. Thoughts overwhelmed me as my mind worked frantically for a solution. I turned, making my way back towards the door. It was locked so I tried using my key. Still, the door wouldn't open. This must be a security feature I never thought about. If you try to break in, you might not be able to break back out. There it was – the big gaping hole in the plan.
I was inwardly cursing my own stupidity as Victoria dashed down the hallway, not a care in the world. I'm such an idiot. It was true, during all these events her talent seemed to be evasion, and here she was, evading me in the most ingenious of ways. I despised myself for the infatuation I had with capturing and killing her.
My mind was racing as the guards came closer. It had now only been two minutes since I passed through the double doors. Instead of going backwards, I began moving at a speed that would be extremely quick for a human, but not impossible. Each moment I could hear the thoughts behind the doors in this hallway. All of them were nervous as they were on lock down and were unsure of exactly what was going on outside their door.
Then, I saw my safe harbor – a window - though it was thick with metal going through it; I knew I could find a way to make it break in a "human way." I could almost sense freedom.
There were heavy foot falls behind me. It was like slow motion. A security guard rounded the corner and caught me trying to find something to 'break' the window. Pulling out his gun his mind showed no hesitation before his finger pressed down on the trigger. The bullet wouldn't hurt me, of course, but that was not the point. This must be some cruel joke the universe was playing on me.
My mind teetered on what to do, but no matter what the threat of exposure had instantly grown substantially. Anxiety bubbled like acid in my stomach. My composure was slipping as my body tensed and moved without my permission.
Author's Note:
Once again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I am having a great time writing this story. I know some people are getting upset that I haven't been updating immediately, but sometimes I am busy and don't have the time to put in the effort that you all deserve. You don't want me to slop something together do you? Please – be patient!
One last thing – someone mentioned to put on here where we are at in the timeline with Bella – right now she is "living in a zombie like state." Once we reach December I will let you all know how Edward's story coincides with Bella's.
Please Review!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. Lolafalana is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of New Moon. No copyright infringement is intended.